睡眠
睡眠 em 30 segundos
- Formal noun for 'sleep'.
- Must be paired with verbs like とる (toru).
- Commonly used in health and medical contexts.
- Distinct from the verb 寝る (neru - to go to bed).
- Physiological Context
- Used when discussing the body's need for rest, brain wave patterns during rest, and overall physical recovery.
最近、睡眠が足りていない。(Lately, I haven't been getting enough sleep.)
- Medical Context
- Employed in diagnoses, treatments, and clinical discussions regarding sleep disorders such as insomnia or sleep apnea.
健康のためには、十分な睡眠が必要です。(Sufficient sleep is necessary for health.)
良質な睡眠は免疫力を高めます。(Good quality sleep boosts the immune system.)
- Productivity Context
- Used when analyzing how rest impacts work efficiency, focus, and cognitive performance in professional environments.
彼は睡眠薬を飲んで寝た。(He took a sleeping pill and went to sleep.)
深い睡眠をとることが大切です。(It is important to get deep sleep.)
- Action Pairing
- Use '睡眠をとる' (suimin o toru) to express the act of getting or taking sleep for recovery purposes.
毎日8時間の睡眠をとるようにしています。(I try to get 8 hours of sleep every day.)
最近、ずっと睡眠不足です。(I have been lacking sleep lately.)
- Quantification
- Combine with '時間' (jikan) to discuss the length or duration of sleep.
あなたの平均睡眠時間はどれくらいですか?(What is your average sleep time?)
- Quality Description
- Use adjectives like 深い (deep) or 浅い (shallow) to describe the quality of the rest.
ストレスのせいで、睡眠が浅くなっています。(Because of stress, my sleep has become shallow.)
試験のために睡眠を削って勉強した。(I cut down on my sleep to study for the exam.)
- Workplace Conversations
- Colleagues frequently discuss their lack of rest as a way to bond over shared corporate struggles and heavy workloads.
昨日も残業で、完全に睡眠不足だよ。(I worked overtime again yesterday, I'm completely sleep-deprived.)
医師に睡眠の質を改善するように言われました。(The doctor told me to improve the quality of my sleep.)
- Media and Advertising
- Television commercials frequently advertise mattresses, pillows, and supplements designed to improve rest quality.
このマットレスは快適な睡眠を約束します。(This mattress promises comfortable sleep.)
日本人は睡眠時間が短い傾向にあります。(Japanese people tend to have short sleep durations.)
- Technology and Apps
- Smartwatches and smartphone applications use this term in their tracking dashboards and health reports.
アプリで毎日の睡眠を記録しています。(I record my daily sleep using an app.)
- Verb Confusion
- Never use '睡眠する' (suimin suru) as a verb for going to bed. Use '寝る' (neru) instead.
❌ 昨日は早く睡眠しました。
⭕ 昨日は早く寝ました。(I went to sleep early yesterday.)
❌ じゃあね、良い睡眠を!
⭕ じゃあね、おやすみ!(See you, good night!)
- Collocation Errors
- Using the wrong verb to mean 'getting sleep'. Learners often use 'する' (suru) instead of the correct 'とる' (toru).
❌ もっと睡眠を持たなければならない。
⭕ もっと睡眠をとらなければならない。(I must get more sleep.)
- Pronunciation Pitfalls
- Failing to pronounce the long vowel sound correctly, saying 'sumin' instead of 'suimin'.
正しい発音は「す・い・み・ん」です。(The correct pronunciation is su-i-mi-n.)
❌ スミン不足
⭕ 睡眠不足 (suimin busoku)
- 眠り (Nemuri)
- A softer, more literary term for sleep or slumber. Focuses on the experience rather than the medical state.
彼は永遠の眠りについた。(He fell into an eternal slumber.) *Here, 睡眠 would be inappropriate.
- 就寝 (Shuushin)
- Formal term for the act of going to bed. Often used for scheduling.
就寝前にスマホを見ない方がいい。(It's better not to look at your smartphone before going to bed.)
疲れたので、少し仮眠をとります。(I'm tired, so I'll take a short nap.)
- 仮眠 (Kamin) vs 昼寝 (Hirune)
- Kamin is a strategic short sleep (often at work/night), while Hirune is a casual daytime nap.
昨日は疲れていて、朝まで爆睡した。(I was so tired yesterday that I slept like a log until morning.)
静かな環境で熟睡できました。(I was able to sleep soundly in the quiet environment.)
How Formal Is It?
Curiosidade
The right side of '睡' is '垂', which means 'to hang down' or 'droop'. So '睡' literally depicts your eyelids drooping when you are tired! The right side of '眠' is '民' (people), but historically it represented an eye that is blinded or dark, symbolizing the darkness of sleep.
Guia de pronúncia
- Pronouncing it as 'sumin' by dropping the 'i'.
- Pronouncing it like the English word 'swimming'.
- Putting a heavy stress accent on the first syllable.
- Failing to pronounce the final 'n' as a full mora.
- Using a 'nakadaka' pitch accent (dropping the pitch at the end).
Nível de dificuldade
The kanji 睡 and 眠 are both taught in junior high school. They look somewhat complex due to the multiple strokes and the shared 'eye' radical.
Writing 睡 from memory can be tricky for learners due to the right-side component 垂.
Pronunciation is straightforward, just remember to elongate the vowels correctly (su-i-mi-n).
Easily recognizable in context, especially when paired with common words like busoku or jikan.
O que aprender depois
Pré-requisitos
Aprenda a seguir
Avançado
Gramática essencial
Noun + をとる (o toru) - Collocation for acquiring a state or taking an action.
睡眠をとる (suimin o toru - to get sleep) / 休憩をとる (kyuukei o toru - to take a break)
Noun + 不足 (busoku) - Suffix meaning lack or insufficiency.
睡眠不足 (suimin busoku - lack of sleep) / 運動不足 (undou busoku - lack of exercise)
Noun + 時間 (jikan) - Suffix for duration of time.
睡眠時間 (suimin jikan - sleep time) / 勉強時間 (benkyou jikan - study time)
Adjective + 睡眠 (suimin) - Describing the quality of a noun.
深い睡眠 (fukai suimin - deep sleep) / 浅い睡眠 (asai suimin - shallow sleep)
Noun + の質 (no shitsu) - Expressing the quality of something.
睡眠の質 (suimin no shitsu - quality of sleep) / 生活の質 (seikatsu no shitsu - quality of life)
Exemplos por nível
私の睡眠時間は8時間です。
My sleep time is 8 hours.
Noun + 時間 (jikan) indicates duration.
睡眠は大切です。
Sleep is important.
Noun + は (wa) marks the topic.
毎日、睡眠をとります。
I get sleep every day.
を (o) marks the direct object for the verb とる (toru).
睡眠が好きです。
I like sleep.
Noun + が好き (ga suki) means 'like [noun]'.
いい睡眠ですね。
That is good sleep, isn't it.
Adjective + Noun modification.
睡眠アプリを使います。
I use a sleep app.
Compound noun: 睡眠 + アプリ.
睡眠が足りないです。
Sleep is not enough.
足りない (tarinai) is the negative form of 足りる (tariru - to be enough).
睡眠の時間は何時間ですか?
How many hours is your sleep time?
Question word 何時間 (nan jikan - how many hours).
最近、睡眠不足でとても疲れています。
Lately, I am very tired from lack of sleep.
で (de) indicates the cause or reason.
健康のために、もっと睡眠をとってください。
For your health, please get more sleep.
〜のために (no tame ni) means 'for the sake of'.
昨日は十分な睡眠がとれませんでした。
I couldn't get enough sleep yesterday.
とれませんでした is the negative potential form of とる.
睡眠時間が短いと、頭が痛くなります。
If sleep time is short, my head hurts.
と (to) is used as a conditional 'if/when'.
良い睡眠をとる方法を教えてください。
Please tell me how to get good sleep.
方法 (houhou) means 'method' or 'way'.
コーヒーを飲むと、睡眠が浅くなります。
When I drink coffee, my sleep becomes shallow.
Adjective + なります (narimasu) indicates a change in state.
睡眠は体と心を休めるために必要です。
Sleep is necessary to rest the body and mind.
休める (yasumeru) is a transitive verb meaning 'to rest something'.
週末はたくさん睡眠をとるつもりです。
I plan to get a lot of sleep on the weekend.
つもりです (tsumori desu) expresses an intention or plan.
ストレスが原因で、睡眠障害になる人が増えています。
The number of people getting sleep disorders due to stress is increasing.
〜が原因で (ga genin de) means 'caused by'.
睡眠薬を飲まないと眠れない日があります。
There are days when I cannot sleep unless I take sleeping pills.
〜ないと (nai to) means 'unless' or 'if not'.
質の高い睡眠をとるためには、寝る前のスマホを控えるべきです。
In order to get high-quality sleep, you should refrain from using your smartphone before bed.
べきです (beki desu) expresses a strong recommendation or obligation.
睡眠不足が続くと、仕事の集中力が低下します。
If lack of sleep continues, concentration at work decreases.
続くと (tsuzuku to) means 'if [it] continues'.
理想的な睡眠時間は人によって異なります。
The ideal sleep time differs depending on the person.
〜によって (ni yotte) means 'depending on'.
昼休みに15分ほどの仮眠をとると、午後の仕事がはかどります。
If you take a 15-minute nap during lunch break, afternoon work progresses well.
ほど (hodo) indicates approximation ('about').
適度な運動は、深い睡眠を促す効果があります。
Moderate exercise has the effect of promoting deep sleep.
促す (unagasu) means 'to promote' or 'to encourage'.
彼は睡眠時間を削ってまで、そのプロジェクトを完成させました。
He completed the project even to the point of cutting down on his sleep time.
〜てまで (te made) implies doing something extreme to achieve a goal.
現代社会において、睡眠負債は深刻な社会問題として認識されつつある。
In modern society, sleep debt is increasingly being recognized as a serious social problem.
〜つつある (tsutsu aru) indicates an ongoing, gradual change.
睡眠の質を客観的に評価するために、ウェアラブル端末を活用する人が増えた。
To objectively evaluate sleep quality, the number of people utilizing wearable devices has increased.
客観的に (kyakkanteki ni) means 'objectively'.
カフェインの摂取は、レム睡眠とノンレム睡眠のサイクルを乱す恐れがある。
Caffeine intake carries the risk of disrupting the cycle of REM and non-REM sleep.
〜恐れがある (osore ga aru) means 'there is a risk/fear that...'.
十分な睡眠が確保できない環境は、従業員のメンタルヘルスに悪影響を及ぼす。
An environment where sufficient sleep cannot be secured negatively impacts employees' mental health.
悪影響を及ぼす (akueikyou o oyobosu) means 'to exert a negative influence'.
睡眠時無呼吸症候群は、日中の強い眠気を引き起こす原因となる。
Sleep apnea syndrome becomes a cause that triggers strong daytime sleepiness.
引き起こす (hikiokosu) means 'to cause' or 'to trigger'.
規則正しい生活リズムを維持することが、良質な睡眠への第一歩だ。
Maintaining a regular life rhythm is the first step toward high-quality sleep.
維持する (iji suru) means 'to maintain'.
就寝前のブルーライトは、睡眠ホルモンであるメラトニンの分泌を抑制してしまう。
Blue light before bedtime suppresses the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
抑制する (yokusei suru) means 'to suppress' or 'to inhibit'.
長期間にわたる睡眠不足は、免疫力の低下を招き、感染症のリスクを高める。
Long-term sleep deprivation leads to a decline in immunity and raises the risk of infectious diseases.
〜にわたる (ni wataru) means 'spanning over' or 'extending over'.
慢性的な睡眠不足がもたらす経済的損失は、国家予算に匹敵するとも言われている。
It is said that the economic loss brought about by chronic sleep deprivation is comparable to the national budget.
匹敵する (hitteki suru) means 'to rival' or 'to be comparable to'.
睡眠という生理的欲求を軽視する企業風土は、早急に是正されるべき課題である。
A corporate culture that neglects the physiological need of sleep is an issue that should be urgently corrected.
軽視する (keishi suru) means 'to make light of' or 'to neglect'.
加齢に伴う睡眠構造の変化は、中途覚醒の増加という形で顕著に表れる。
Changes in sleep architecture accompanying aging manifest prominently in the form of increased mid-sleep awakenings.
〜に伴う (ni tomonau) means 'accompanying' or 'along with'.
最新の睡眠科学は、記憶の固定化における徐波睡眠の不可欠な役割を解明しつつある。
The latest sleep science is gradually elucidating the indispensable role of slow-wave sleep in memory consolidation.
不可欠な (fukaketsu na) means 'indispensable' or 'essential'.
過度なストレスは自律神経のバランスを崩し、結果として深刻な睡眠障害を誘発する。
Excessive stress disrupts the balance of the autonomic nervous system, consequently inducing severe sleep disorders.
誘発する (yuuhatsu suru) means 'to induce' or 'to trigger'.
シフト勤務制がもたらす概日リズムの乱れは、睡眠の質を著しく損なう要因となる。
The disruption of the circadian rhythm brought about by shift work becomes a factor that significantly impairs sleep quality.
著しく (ichijirushiku) means 'significantly' or 'markedly'.
睡眠薬の安易な処方は、依存症のリスクを孕んでいるため、慎重な判断が求められる。
The easy prescription of sleeping pills carries the risk of addiction, thus requiring careful judgment.
孕む (haramu) literally means 'to conceive', but metaphorically means 'to contain/carry (a risk)'.
個人の睡眠パターンは遺伝的要因に大きく依存しており、一律の基準を当てはめるのは危険だ。
Individual sleep patterns depend heavily on genetic factors, and applying a uniform standard is dangerous.
一律の (ichiritsu no) means 'uniform' or 'across the board'.
睡眠とは単なる覚醒の欠如ではなく、脳が自己修復を行うための極めて能動的なプロセスである。
Sleep is not merely the absence of wakefulness, but an extremely active process for the brain to perform self-repair.
単なる〜ではない (tannaru ~ de wa nai) means 'not merely...'.
近代資本主義社会は、睡眠という非生産的な時間をいかに搾取するかという命題と常に格闘してきた。
Modern capitalist society has constantly grappled with the proposition of how to exploit the unproductive time known as sleep.
搾取する (sakushu suru) means 'to exploit'.
文学において、睡眠はしばしば死のメタファーとして、あるいは現実からの逃避行として描出される。
In literature, sleep is often depicted as a metaphor for death, or as an escapade from reality.
描出される (byoushutsu sareru) means 'to be depicted' or 'portrayed'.
睡眠時随伴症の複雑なメカニズムは、意識と無意識の境界がいかに曖昧であるかを如実に物語っている。
The complex mechanisms of parasomnia vividly illustrate just how ambiguous the boundary between consciousness and unconsciousness is.
如実に物語る (nyojitsu ni monogataru) means 'to vividly illustrate/tell'.
人為的な光害がもたらす睡眠環境の悪化は、生態系全体のリズムをも狂わせる潜在的脅威である。
The deterioration of the sleep environment caused by artificial light pollution is a potential threat that disrupts the rhythm of the entire ecosystem.
狂わせる (kuruwaseru) means 'to throw out of order' or 'to disrupt'.
睡眠の剥奪は、最も古く、かつ最も残酷な拷問手法の一つとして歴史上幾度となく用いられてきた。
Sleep deprivation has been used countless times throughout history as one of the oldest and most cruel methods of torture.
幾度となく (ikudo to naku) means 'countless times'.
深遠なる睡眠の海に沈潜することで、我々は日中の煩悩から解放され、精神の浄化を遂げるのである。
By submerging into the profound ocean of sleep, we are liberated from daytime worldly desires and achieve spiritual purification.
沈潜する (chinsen suru) means 'to submerge' or 'to delve deeply'.
夢という現象は、睡眠中に脳内で繰り広げられる記憶の再構築作業の副産物に過ぎないとする説が有力だ。
The prevailing theory is that the phenomenon of dreams is merely a byproduct of the memory reconstruction work unfolding in the brain during sleep.
〜に過ぎない (ni suginai) means 'nothing more than' or 'merely'.
Colocações comuns
Frases Comuns
— Not having enough sleep. Used to express fatigue.
最近、睡眠が足りなくて辛い。(Lately, I'm suffering because I don't have enough sleep.)
— Good quality sleep. Often used in health advice.
良質な睡眠は健康の基本です。(Good quality sleep is the foundation of health.)
— To interfere with or disturb sleep. Used when something keeps you awake.
騒音が睡眠を妨げる。(The noise disturbs my sleep.)
— To promote or encourage sleep. Used for things that help you fall asleep.
温かいミルクは睡眠を促します。(Warm milk promotes sleep.)
— Sleep learning. The concept of learning while asleep (often debated).
睡眠学習の効果は証明されていない。(The effectiveness of sleep learning is unproven.)
— REM sleep. The stage of sleep where dreaming occurs.
レム睡眠中に夢を見ます。(We dream during REM sleep.)
— Non-REM sleep. Deep, restorative sleep.
ノンレム睡眠は脳を休ませます。(Non-REM sleep rests the brain.)
— Sleep-inducing drug. A milder form of sleeping pill.
睡眠導入剤を飲んで寝る。(Take a sleep-inducing drug and go to bed.)
— Sleep apnea syndrome. A medical condition.
彼は睡眠時無呼吸症候群の疑いがある。(He is suspected of having sleep apnea syndrome.)
— Comfortable sleep. Used in advertising for bedding.
快適な睡眠をお届けします。(We deliver comfortable sleep.)
Frequentemente confundido com
Learners often try to use '睡眠' as a verb ('睡眠する'). '寝る' is the verb 'to sleep/go to bed'. '睡眠' is the noun 'sleep'.
Both are nouns for sleep. '睡眠' is clinical and objective. '眠り' is poetic and subjective (e.g., 'a peaceful slumber').
Both are formal. '就寝' means the specific act/time of going to bed. '睡眠' refers to the entire duration and state of being asleep.
Expressões idiomáticas
— To sleep like a log; to sleep dead to the world. Literally 'to sleep like mud'.
疲れ果てて、泥のように眠った。(I was exhausted and slept like a log.)
Idiomatic/Casual— To sleep in peace without worries. Literally 'to sleep with a high pillow'.
事件が解決し、これで枕を高くして寝られる。(The case is solved, now I can sleep in peace.)
Idiomatic/Formal— To forget to sleep and eat; to be completely absorbed in something.
彼は寝食を忘れて研究に没頭した。(He immersed himself in his research, forgetting to sleep and eat.)
Idiomatic/Formal— A bolt from the blue; a complete surprise. Literally 'water in a sleeping ear'.
そのニュースはまさに寝耳に水だった。(That news was truly a bolt from the blue.)
Idiomatic— Good things come to those who wait. Literally 'sleep and wait for good fortune'.
焦っても仕方ない、果報は寝て待てだよ。(No use rushing, good things come to those who wait.)
Proverb— In spring one sleeps so soundly that one doesn't notice the dawn. From a famous Chinese poem.
春眠暁を覚えずで、今朝は寝坊してしまった。(As they say, 'in spring one sleeps past dawn', I overslept this morning.)
Poetic/Proverb— Children who sleep well grow well.
うちの赤ちゃんはよく寝る。寝る子は育つね。(Our baby sleeps a lot. Children who sleep well grow well.)
Proverb— To be healthy enough to wake up and work is a blessing.
文句を言わずに働きなさい、起きて働く果報者だよ。(Work without complaining, it's a blessing to be able to wake up and work.)
Proverb— Feigning sleep; playing possum. Literally 'raccoon dog sleep'.
都合が悪くなると、彼はすぐに狸寝入りをする。(When things get inconvenient, he immediately feigns sleep.)
Idiomatic/Casual— Sleeping alongside someone (usually a child) to comfort them.
子供が怖がるので添い寝をした。(The child was scared, so I slept beside them.)
NeutralFácil de confundir
Shares the kanji '眠' and sounds similar.
'冬眠' specifically means 'hibernation' (winter sleep) for animals. You cannot use it for humans unless you are making a joke about sleeping all winter.
熊は冬眠します。(Bears hibernate.)
Shares the kanji '眠' and sounds similar.
'催眠' means 'hypnosis'. It is an induced state, not natural sleep. Used in words like '催眠術' (hypnotism).
催眠術にかかる。(To fall under hypnosis.)
Shares the kanji '眠' and is a type of sleep.
'仮眠' is a short, temporary nap taken out of necessity, usually at work or while driving. '睡眠' is your main, restorative sleep.
車の中で仮眠をとる。(Take a nap in the car.)
Visual confusion. The kanji '唾' (saliva) looks very similar to '睡' (sleep).
Look at the right side. '睡' has '垂' (droop), while '唾' has a different component. They have completely different meanings.
唾液が出る。(Saliva comes out.)
Shares the kanji '睡'.
'睡魔' literally means 'the sleep demon' and translates to 'drowsiness' or 'sleepiness' that attacks you. You 'fight' suima, you 'take' suimin.
睡魔に襲われる。(To be attacked by drowsiness.)
Padrões de frases
[Reason] で、睡眠不足です。
仕事が忙しくて、睡眠不足です。(I'm busy with work, so I'm lacking sleep.)
毎日 [Number] 時間の睡眠をとります。
毎日7時間の睡眠をとります。(I get 7 hours of sleep every day.)
睡眠が [Adjective: 浅い/深い] です。
最近、ストレスで睡眠が浅いです。(Lately, my sleep is shallow due to stress.)
睡眠の質を [Verb: 上げる/良くする] ために〜
睡眠の質を上げるために、運動しています。(I am exercising to raise the quality of my sleep.)
睡眠を削ってまで [Action] をする。
睡眠を削ってまでゲームをしてしまった。(I played games even to the point of cutting down on sleep.)
[Subject] は睡眠を妨げる。
寝る前のカフェインは睡眠を妨げる。(Caffeine before bed disturbs sleep.)
慢性的な睡眠不足は [Negative Consequence] を引き起こす。
慢性的な睡眠不足は重大な病気を引き起こす。(Chronic sleep deprivation causes serious illnesses.)
良質な睡眠は [Positive Outcome] に不可欠である。
良質な睡眠は疲労回復に不可欠である。(High-quality sleep is indispensable for fatigue recovery.)
Família de palavras
Substantivos
Relacionado
Como usar
Top 2000 most common words in Japanese. Extremely frequent in daily life, news, and medical contexts.
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私は毎日8時間睡眠します。
→
私は毎日8時間睡眠をとります。
Learners often treat '睡眠' as a suru-verb. It is strictly a noun. You must use the verb 'とる' (toru - to take) to express getting sleep.
-
お母さん、良い睡眠を!
→
お母さん、おやすみなさい!
Translating 'Have a good sleep!' directly sounds clinical and unnatural in Japanese. For greetings, always use the standard 'おやすみなさい'.
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もっと睡眠を持たなければならない。
→
もっと睡眠をとらなければならない。
Directly translating 'to have sleep' leads to using the verb '持つ' (motsu). In Japanese, you 'take' sleep using 'とる' (toru).
-
スミン不足で疲れた。
→
睡眠不足(すいみんぶそく)で疲れた。
Pronunciation error. Dropping the 'i' makes it sound like 'sumin'. It must be pronounced with four distinct beats: su-i-mi-n.
-
授業中に睡眠してしまった。
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授業中に居眠りしてしまった。
Vocabulary error. '睡眠' refers to proper, intentional rest in bed. Dozing off in class or on a train is called '居眠り' (inemuri).
Dicas
Always pair with とる
Treat '睡眠をとる' (suimin o toru) as a single vocabulary chunk. Memorizing it this way prevents the common mistake of trying to use 'する' (suru) or '持つ' (motsu).
Master the 'busoku' suffix
The suffix '不足' (busoku - lack) is incredibly useful. '睡眠不足' (suimin busoku) is one of the most common phrases you will hear in a Japanese office. Learn it early!
Objective vs. Subjective
Use '睡眠' when talking about sleep as a biological function, duration, or health metric. Use '眠り' (nemuri) when talking about the feeling or poetry of slumber.
Don't rush the vowels
Make sure to pronounce all four morae: su-i-mi-n. English speakers often blend 'su' and 'i' into a 'swi' sound. Keep them distinct.
A common conversation starter
Asking about someone's '睡眠時間' (suimin jikan - sleep time) is a normal, polite way to show concern for their health in Japan, especially if they look tired.
Watch the kanji radicals
Both kanji in '睡眠' share the '目' (eye) radical on the left. This is a great visual reminder that the word is related to closing your eyes.
Not for greetings
Never use '睡眠' to say goodnight to someone. Stick to 'おやすみなさい' (Oyasuminasai). '睡眠' is for discussing the topic of sleep, not for greetings.
Describe the quality
To sound fluent, use adjectives to describe sleep. '深い' (fukai - deep), '浅い' (asai - shallow), and '良質な' (ryoushitsu na - good quality) are the best choices.
Catching the numbers
When you hear 'suimin' in the news, get ready to listen for numbers. It is almost always followed by statistics about hours (時間) or percentages (パーセント).
Nebusoku vs Suimin busoku
'寝不足' (nebusoku) and '睡眠不足' (suimin busoku) mean the same thing. Use 'nebusoku' with friends, and 'suimin busoku' at work or in formal writing.
Memorize
Mnemônico
Imagine you are SWIMMING (suimin) in a deep, relaxing pool of dreams to get your SLEEP.
Associação visual
Visualize heavy eyelids drooping (the kanji 睡) into total darkness (the kanji 眠) while floating in a pool (swimming -> suimin).
Word Web
Desafio
Try tracking your sleep for three days. Each morning, write down '今日の睡眠時間は〇〇時間です' (Today's sleep time is XX hours) and note if it was '深い' (deep) or '浅い' (shallow).
Origem da palavra
The word '睡眠' is composed of two kanji of Chinese origin (on'yomi). The first kanji, '睡' (sui), means 'drowsy' or 'sleep'. The second kanji, '眠' (min), also means 'sleep' or 'to close eyes'. Both characters share the '目' (eye) radical.
Significado original: The literal combination means 'drooping eyes and closed eyes', describing the physical state of falling asleep.
Sino-Japanese vocabulary (Kango).Contexto cultural
Be careful not to praise someone for looking tired or lacking sleep, as modern Japanese society is trying to move away from glorifying overwork.
In English cultures, sleep is often viewed as a basic right and a private matter. In Japan, sleep (or the lack thereof) is often a public indicator of one's work ethic.
Pratique na vida real
Contextos reais
At the Doctor's Clinic
- 睡眠はとれていますか? (Are you getting sleep?)
- 睡眠が浅いです。(My sleep is shallow.)
- 睡眠薬を出します。(I will prescribe sleeping pills.)
- 睡眠障害の可能性があります。(There is a possibility of a sleep disorder.)
Complaining to Coworkers
- 睡眠不足で頭が回らない。(My brain isn't working due to lack of sleep.)
- 昨日も睡眠を削って仕事した。(I cut down on sleep to work yesterday too.)
- 睡眠時間が全然足りない。(My sleep time is completely insufficient.)
- 早く帰って睡眠をとりたい。(I want to go home early and get some sleep.)
Buying Bedding or Health Products
- 良質な睡眠をサポートします。(Supports high-quality sleep.)
- 深い睡眠に導く枕。(A pillow that leads to deep sleep.)
- 睡眠の質を向上させるサプリ。(A supplement that improves sleep quality.)
- 快適な睡眠環境。(A comfortable sleep environment.)
Using a Health App
- 今日の睡眠時間 (Today's sleep time)
- 睡眠の深さ (Depth of sleep)
- レム睡眠の割合 (Percentage of REM sleep)
- 睡眠データを記録する (Record sleep data)
Reading Health Articles
- 睡眠負債を返済する (Pay back sleep debt)
- 理想的な睡眠時間 (Ideal sleep time)
- 睡眠と免疫力の関係 (The relationship between sleep and immunity)
- 睡眠の質を高める習慣 (Habits that raise the quality of sleep)
Iniciadores de conversa
"最近、ちゃんと睡眠とれてる?疲れた顔してるよ。(Have you been getting enough sleep lately? You look tired.)"
"あなたの平均睡眠時間はどれくらいですか?私はいつも6時間くらいです。(What is your average sleep time? I'm usually around 6 hours.)"
"睡眠の質を上げるために、何か特別なことをしていますか?(Are you doing anything special to improve the quality of your sleep?)"
"寝る前にスマホを見ると睡眠が浅くなるって本当だと思いますか?(Do you think it's true that looking at your smartphone before bed makes your sleep shallow?)"
"日本人は世界で一番睡眠時間が短いらしいですが、どう思いますか?(I heard Japanese people have the shortest sleep time in the world, what do you think about that?)"
Temas para diário
昨日の夜の睡眠はどうでしたか?何時間寝て、どんな気分で起きましたか?(How was your sleep last night? How many hours did you sleep, and how did you feel waking up?)
あなたにとって理想的な睡眠環境(ベッド、温度、音など)について書いてください。(Write about your ideal sleep environment: bed, temperature, sound, etc.)
睡眠不足になった時、あなたの体や心にどんな変化が起こりますか?(When you lack sleep, what changes happen to your body and mind?)
「睡眠を削ってでもやらなければならないこと」は人生にあると思いますか?(Do you think there are things in life 'you must do even if it means cutting down on sleep'?)
日本の「居眠り」文化について、あなたの国の文化と比較して意見を書いてください。(Write your opinion on Japan's 'inemuri' culture compared to your country's culture.)
Perguntas frequentes
10 perguntasNo, this is grammatically incorrect and sounds very unnatural. '睡眠' is a noun and is not used with 'する' (suru) to mean 'to sleep'. If you want to say 'I sleep', use the verb '寝る' (neru). If you want to use the word '睡眠', you must say '睡眠をとる' (suimin o toru - to get sleep).
Both mean 'lack of sleep'. '睡眠不足' (suimin busoku) is the formal, standard term used in writing, news, and polite conversation. '寝不足' (nebusoku) is a slightly more casual, colloquial version that you would use with friends or family. Both are very common.
You can say 'よく寝ました' (Yoku nemashita - I slept well) using the verb. If you want to use the noun, you can say '良い睡眠がとれました' (Yoi suimin ga toremashita - I was able to get good sleep) or 'ぐっすり眠れました' (Gussuri nemuremashita - I slept soundly).
Not at all! While it is the medical term, it is used by everyone in daily life when discussing health, habits, or the quality of rest. You will hear it constantly in TV commercials, at the office, and in casual conversations about wellness.
The verb '削る' (kezuru) means to shave, whittle down, or cut back. In Japanese culture, time is often viewed as a resource. '睡眠時間を削る' vividly describes the sacrifice of taking time away from your necessary rest to allocate it to work or study.
'睡眠負債' (suimin fusai) translates to 'sleep debt'. It is a term popularized by sleep researchers to describe the cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep over a long period, which acts like a debt that eventually harms your health.
Yes, you can use '睡眠' to describe the biological sleep of animals in a scientific or objective context (e.g., '犬の睡眠時間' - a dog's sleep time). However, for hibernation, use '冬眠' (toumin).
It is 'heiban' (flat). It starts low on the first mora 'su', goes high on 'i', and stays high for 'mi' and 'n'. Do not stress the first syllable like the English word 'swimming'.
You generally don't. Wishing someone a good night is a set greeting: 'おやすみなさい' (Oyasuminasai). Saying '良い睡眠を' (Yoi suimin o) sounds like a doctor giving clinical advice or a hotel advertisement.
They are simply transliterated and combined with '睡眠'. REM sleep is 'レム睡眠' (remu suimin) and non-REM sleep is 'ノンレム睡眠' (non-remu suimin). These terms are widely understood in Japan.
Teste-se 200 perguntas
Write 'I get 8 hours of sleep every day' in Japanese using 睡眠.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Write 'My head hurts from lack of sleep' in Japanese.
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Write 'Please get enough sleep' in formal Japanese.
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Write 'Sleep is important for health' in Japanese.
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Write 'I took a sleeping pill' in Japanese.
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Write 'My sleep is shallow because of stress' in Japanese.
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Write 'I want to improve the quality of my sleep' in Japanese.
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Write 'I cut down on my sleep to study' in Japanese.
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Write 'What is your average sleep time?' in Japanese.
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Write 'Coffee disturbs sleep' in Japanese.
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Write 'Warm milk promotes sleep' in Japanese.
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Write 'I have sleep debt' in Japanese.
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Write 'I use a sleep app' in Japanese.
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Write 'I cannot get deep sleep' in Japanese.
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Write 'Lack of sleep continues' in Japanese.
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Write 'Sleep disorder treatment' in Japanese.
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Write 'REM sleep and non-REM sleep' in Japanese.
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Write 'Good quality sleep' in Japanese.
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Write 'Sleep environment' in Japanese.
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Write 'Sleep data' in Japanese.
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Say 'Lack of sleep' in Japanese.
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Say 'Sleeping pill' in Japanese.
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Say 'Sleep time' in Japanese.
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Say 'To get sleep' in Japanese.
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Say 'Deep sleep' in Japanese.
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Say 'Shallow sleep' in Japanese.
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Say 'Quality of sleep' in Japanese.
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Say 'Sleep disorder' in Japanese.
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Say 'To cut down on sleep' in Japanese.
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Say 'Sleep debt' in Japanese.
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Say 'To disturb sleep' in Japanese.
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Say 'To promote sleep' in Japanese.
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Say 'Good quality sleep' in Japanese.
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Say 'REM sleep' in Japanese.
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Say 'Sleep environment' in Japanese.
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Say 'I have a headache from lack of sleep' in Japanese.
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Say 'Please get enough sleep' in Japanese.
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Say 'I took a sleeping pill' in Japanese.
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Say 'What is your average sleep time?' in Japanese.
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Say 'I use a sleep app' in Japanese.
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Listen and type what you hear: すいみんぶそく
Listen and type what you hear: すいみんをとる
Listen and type what you hear: すいみんじかん
Listen and type what you hear: すいみんやく
Listen and type what you hear: ふかいすいみん
Listen and type what you hear: すいみんのしつ
Listen and type what you hear: すいみんしょうがい
Listen and type what you hear: すいみんをけずる
Listen and type what you hear: すいみんふさい
Listen and type what you hear: あさいすいみん
Listen and type what you hear: りょうしつなすいみん
Listen and type what you hear: すいみんをさまたげる
Listen and type what you hear: すいみんをうながす
Listen and type what you hear: れむすいみん
Listen and type what you hear: すいみんかんきょう
/ 200 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Remember that '睡眠' (suimin) is a noun used for the *concept* or *state* of sleep, often related to health. To say 'I get sleep', use '睡眠をとる' (suimin o toru).
- Formal noun for 'sleep'.
- Must be paired with verbs like とる (toru).
- Commonly used in health and medical contexts.
- Distinct from the verb 寝る (neru - to go to bed).
Always pair with とる
Treat '睡眠をとる' (suimin o toru) as a single vocabulary chunk. Memorizing it this way prevents the common mistake of trying to use 'する' (suru) or '持つ' (motsu).
Master the 'busoku' suffix
The suffix '不足' (busoku - lack) is incredibly useful. '睡眠不足' (suimin busoku) is one of the most common phrases you will hear in a Japanese office. Learn it early!
Objective vs. Subjective
Use '睡眠' when talking about sleep as a biological function, duration, or health metric. Use '眠り' (nemuri) when talking about the feeling or poetry of slumber.
Don't rush the vowels
Make sure to pronounce all four morae: su-i-mi-n. English speakers often blend 'su' and 'i' into a 'swi' sound. Keep them distinct.
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